Other than setting a dangerous precedent and putting Canada on a path I don’t really want to peer down, the legalization will result in a free-for-all. There are no regulations in place that could take effect if prostitution is okayed … governments of all levels will be scrambling to come up with ways to oversee the trade. As Cornwall’s police chief said, we’ll have to act fast to ensure our reputation as a safe and comfortable city continues. Not that I expect a big problem with prostitution here, but I think that’s the point. No one seems to know quite what to expect … how could this ruling change the landscape of Canada? I don’t want to be Holland II: a sex tourism destination that attracts all manner of sketchy characters and twists the reputation of the nation.

Basically, I’m anti-prostitution, so of course legalizing it is something I’m against. I think it could encourage the exploitation of women and young girls, increase human trafficking to Canada and remove some hope and protection for those unwillingly caught in the sex trade. Additionally, if prostitution is legalized today, who knows what’s next? Polygamy? That’s a whole other blog rant (coming soon!).

I don’t understand how legalizing prostitution would “increase human trafficking to Canada and remove some hope and protection for those unwillingly caught in the sex trade.” If anything, the reverse is true.

Seriously, wouldn’t it be better if it were legalized? That way, prostitutes don’t need to live in fear of pimps, they have to pay taxes, get workers rights, can start a union, etc. Plus the government can set up requirements, such as regular health checks, use of condoms, etc. This would lead to less diseases being spread.

For example: “In Nevada, state law requires that registered brothel prostitutes be checked weekly for several sexually transmitted diseases and monthly for HIV; furthermore, condoms are mandatory for all oral sex and sexual intercourse. Brothel owners may be held liable if customers become infected with HIV after a prostitute has tested positive for the virus” (From Wikipedia)

And according to this study (http://www.liberator.net/articles/prostitution.html#summary): Amsterdam is the capitol of the Netherlands and is internationally known for its redlight district. Critics to prostitution might be stunned to learn that the Netherlands has the least number of murders and rapes. It prosecutes a considerable amount of criminals but has a low number of prisoners. It does not suffer from an HIV/AIDS epidemic, like the U.S. and the U.K., and has the second lowest suicide rate listed.

So there are plenty of benefits to legalizing prostitution. I’m not saying it’s something Canada should do, but it’s definitely something that should be looked into.

Cherylsaid,

In response to your first paragraph: you think the people who are trapped in the sex trade against their will have a better chance of escaping if their activity is legalized? I heartily disagree. How are agencies that assist young girls in getting out of the sex trade going to be able to justify their services? Even if prostitution is legalized, some regulations must be put in place to ensure help is available for those that did not choose that lifestyle.

I definitely see your other points though, I’ve heard about all of the positive possibilities (taxes, unionizing, etc) a lot. I can’t see how use of condoms would be monitored though.

But again, I worry about what kind of trend this starts. Who knows what could be legalized next? And I’d really prefer that prostitution not be considered a legitimate career goal and that a neighbourhood brothel not be a reality.

Janetsaid,

You’d think if it was legalized it would attract prostitutes from all over North America and even other countries to move to Ontario. The province would soon have hundreds to thousands more prostitutes living there.

Scott Clouthiersaid,

You should remember that decriminalization and legalization are not the same thing. If prostitution is decriminalized it will remove jail time penalties and keep these cases from clogging up our court rooms. There will still be fines for those caught.

I don’t like the idea because it doesn’t go far enough. If you really want to help those at risk, it needs to be legalized. Decriminalization is just going to benefit pimps, brothel owners and those human traffickers you mentioned.